Game apparatus

ABSTRACT

A game board having upright walls for receiving elongated playing elements to progressively form an array of squares over the playing surface of the board. A socket is centrally located within the four playing members of each square for receiving a marker for the player completing the fourth side of the square.

United States Patent 1 1 1111 3,863,926 White et al. Feb. 4, 1975 1 1 GAME APPARATUS 3,404,890 10/1968 Christy 273/130 R 1761 Beverly White; David White, 122122? 311311 $32223.??l;.::::::::::::::;'5751 411i1i ig gg Mason Ch Westland, Mich- 3,695,616 10/1972 Weber 273/130 R I FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [22] Flled: Sept- 1972 654,098 12/1962 Canada 273/130 R [21] Appl. N0.: 287,474

Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Harry G. Strappello 273/130 273/130 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Charles W. Chandler [58] Field of Search 273/130 R, 130 B, 130 F,

273/131 B, 131 BA, 131 1), 134 E, 134 G, [57] ABSTRACT 134 GM, 5 R, 136 E, 136 F A game beard having upr1ght walls for recelvmg elongated playmg elements to progresswely form an array 5 References Cited of squares over the playing surface of the board. A UNITED STATES PATENTS socket 1s centrally located w1th1n the four playmg members of each square for receiving a marker for the I 2 222: 5 player completing the fourth sideof the square. 3,024,026 3/1962 Goetz 273/130 R 7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED FEB 75 III Fig 5 Fig-4 GAME APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to game apparatus in which the players take turns in placing playing elements on a game board so as to progressively occupy a predetermined number of positions on the board.

A game has long been popular in which players form a series of equi-spaced, parallel rows of dots on paper and then taken turns connecting the pair of dots with a straight line to form squares. The player who has formed the greater number of squares when all the dots have been connected is the winner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The broad purpose of the present invention is to provide a game board having a series of parallel rows of pegs corresponding to the dots of the aforementioned paper and pencil game. The pegs are connected to form squares by elongated playing elements that are laid on the board between the pegs. A plurality of walls are mounted on the board to retain the playing elements in position. Preferably a spinner is used by the players to indicate the number of the direction in which the playing elements are to be disposed on the board during each players turn.

The preferred embodiment of the invention, which will be described in greater detail, provides many advantages over the conventional paper and pencil method of connecting dots. For example, the players can use the same board to play an indefinite. number of games. The walls on the game board prevent the playing elements from rolling across the board, but permit the players to easily remove individual playing elements. When the game is complete, the board can be cleared by merely turning it upside down.

The board can be mounted on a support so as to be rotated during the course of play to broaden the number of playing variations.

Still further objects and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains upon reference to the following detailed description.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The description refers to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view of a game board and a spinner illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of one corner of the game board to show the manner in which a playing element is disposed on the board between a pair of pegs;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the game board of FIG. 1 to show the manner in which four playing elements are disposed to form a square;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view as seen along lines 4--4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view as seen along lines 55 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, a preferred game apparatus includes a four-sided game board is illustrated in FIG. 1 as having a generally planar playing surface 12.

LII

A plurality of pegs 14 are mounted on game board 10 in seven equi-spaced rows in which the pegs in each row are equal spaced. Each peg 14 is cylindrical in shape with its bottom end permanently attached to the board.

Referring to FIG. 3, the game apparatus includes a plurality of elongated cylindrical playing elements I6 which are placed on the board by the players in positions between pegs 14 so as to form a four-sided figure. Playing elements 16 each have an identical length which accommodates the distance between pegs I4.

As best shown in FIG. 2, a four-sided wall 18 is mounted on game board 10 adjacent the pegs I4 dispoed along the side edges of the game board. Wall 18 extends above the playing surface of the board a distance approximately half the diameter of a typical playing element 16.

A pair of -L-shaped members 20 are mounted adjacent each peg 14 adjacent wall 18, except that for the corner pegs where only a single member 20 is mounted, and four L-shaped members 20 are mounted on the game board about each remaining peg 14. Still referring to FIG. 2, each L-shaped member 20 comprises two generally triangular shaped walls each wall being parallel to and spaced with respect to a companion wall a distance slightly greater than'the diameter of a playing member 16.

Referring to 'FIG. 3, the L-shaped members 20 mounted about a typical peg I4 form a pair of parallel walls 22 and 24 on one side of the peg and a pair of companion parallel walls 26 and 28 on the opposite side of the peg. Walls 22 and 24 are disposed to receive the end of a playing element 16 on one side of peg 14, while walls 26 and 28 are disposed to receive the end of another playing element on the opposite side of the peg. The bshaped members also form a pair of companion walls 30'and 32 disposed to receive a playing element 16 between them and a second pair of walls 34 and 36 on the opposite side of peg 14 to receive the end of another playing member 16. It is to be noted that walls 30 and 32 are connected to walls 22 and 26, respectively, and are at right angles to such walls. Similarly walls 24 and 28 are connected to walls 34 and 36, respectively, and are disposed at right angles to such walls.

As best shown in FIG. 4, the walls of each L-shaped member have a height approximately half the diameter of playing element 16, and a length about one-third that of a typical playing element. Thus a player can engage the mid-section of an individual playing element to remove it from game board 10. The walls of each L- shaped member 20 are perpendicular to the playing surface of the board so that when the game has been completed, the players can clear the board by placing it upside down so that the playing elements drop out of their respective game positions.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 5, a short cylinder 38 is mounted in a central location between each set of four pegs 14. A cylindrical marker 40 is seated in cylinder 38 which provides a socket for marker 40 until the game has been completed. Normally, marker 40 is placed in cylinder 38 by the player who has completed the fourth side of a square formed by four playing elements 16. Preferably, markers 40 are in colors chosen to identify each player.

Referring to FIG. 1, a flat spinner board 42 supports a rotatably mounted arrow 44. Spinner board 42 hasa series of pie shaped sections 46 marked to indicate to the manner of play depending upon the position of arrow 44.

There is a variety of possible game rules but for purposes of illustration, one simple playing procedure is as follows: assuming the board has been cleared of the playing elements and that there are two players, the players would determine in some manner, such as by flipping a coin, who is to have the first urn. The first player then spins arrow 44. The position in which arrow 44 comes to rest indicates whether the player is to place a playing element on the game board between a pair of pegs 14 in either direction V" which would be with the ends of the playing element pointing toward the players on opposite sides of the board, or in direction H" which would be at right angles to the V direction. The player then places a playing element on the board in the appropriate direction. The next player then manipulates the arrow so that it spins to a random position to indicate whether the second player is to place his playing element in the H direction or the *V" direction.

The players alternately take turns so as to progressively occupy the position between each neighboring pair of pegs 14 on the same board. As each member player completes the fourth side of a square he places a marker 40 into the cylinder 38 enclosed by the square. When all the pegs have been connected by playing elements 16, the player having the greater number of markers 40 on the game board is the winner.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. Game apparatus comprising:

a game board having a generally flat playing surface;

a plurality of equally spaced, parallel rows of pegs fixedly mounted on the playing surface, each row having a plurality of pegs spaced apart a distance equal to the distance between adjacent rows, each peg in each row being disposed adjacent a peg in an adjacent row in a direction at right angles to the rows of pegs, each of said pegs having a predetermined height above the surface of the board;

at least four similarly shaped, elongated playing elements each having a length less than the distance between adjacent pegs; and

wall means mounted on the board for defining at least two playing element positions adjacent each peg including a first playing element position between such peg and the adjacent peg in therow thereof for receiving a playing element parallel to said rows of pegs, and a second playing element position for receiving a playing element between such peg and the adjacent peg in the adjacent row at right angles to said rows of pegs, said wall means being disposed adjacent to their respective pegs, but in spaced relationship thereto, and including a first pair of walls disposed in parallel relationship on opposite sides of and adjacentone end of each playing element position, and a second pair of walls disposed in parallel relationship on opposite sides of and adjacent the opposite end of each playing element position, said wall means having a height above the playing surface less than the height of the pegs and less than the diameter of the playing elements, whereby the opposite ends of each playing element in a playing element position is disposed between said first and second pairs of walls, but can be removed therefrom by a motion perpendicular to the playing surface of the game board by having its mid-section engaged by a player. 2. Game apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which each playing element is cylindrical in configuration.

3. Game apparatus as defined in claim 1, including spinner means for indicating the manner in which the playing elements are to be placed on the game board. 4. A game apparatus as defined in claim 1, in which there are seven rows of pegs with seven pegs in each row.

5. A game apparatus as defined in claim 1, including a continuous wall bounding the periphery of the playing board to reinforce the side edges of the board.

6. A game apparatus as defined in claim 1, in which the height of each wall is about one-half the diameter of each playing element.

7. A game apparatus as defined in claim 1, including a plurality of markers and a plurality of cylinders on the board forming sockets for receiving the markers. 

1. Game apparatus comprising: a game board having a generally flat playing surface; a plurality of equally spaced, parallel rows of pegs fixedly mounted on the playing surface, each row having a plurality of pegs spaced apart a distance equal to the distance between adjacent rows, each peg in each row being disposed adjacent a peg in an adjacent row in a direction at right angles to the rows of pegs, each of said pegs having a predetermined height above the surface of the board; at least four similarly shaped, elongated playing elements each having a length less than the distance between adjacent pegs; and wall means mounted on the board for defining at least two playing element positions adjacent each peg including a first playing element position between such peg and the adjacent peg in the row thereof for receiving a playing element parallel to said rows of pegs, and a second playing element position for receiving a playing element between such peg and the adjacent peg in the adjacent row at right angles to said rows of pegs, said wall means being disposed adjacent to their respective pegs, but in spaced relationship thereto, and including a first pair of walls disposed in parallel relationship on opposite sides of and adjacent one end of each playing element position, and a second pair of walls disposed in parallel relationship on opposite sides of and adjacent the opposite end of each playing element position, said wall means having a height above the playing surface less than the height of the pegs and less than the diameter of the playing elements, whereby the opposite ends of each playing element in a playing element position is disposed between said first and second pairs of walls, but can be removed therefrom by a motion perpendicular to the playing surface of the game board by having its mid-section engaged by a player.
 2. Game apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which each playing element is cylindrical in configuration.
 3. Game apparatus as defined in claim 1, including spinner means for indicating the manner in which the playing elements are to be placed on the game board.
 4. A game apparatus as defined in claim 1, in which there are seven rows of pegs with seven pegs in each row.
 5. A game apparatus as defined in claim 1, including a continuous wall bounding the periphery of the playing board to reinforce the side edges of the board.
 6. A game apparatus as defined in claim 1, in which the height of each wall is about one-half the diameter of each playing element.
 7. A game apparatus as defined in claim 1, including a plurality of markers and a plurality of cylinders on the board forming sockets for receiving the markers. 